T-Mobile's Latest Promotional Ploy: Free Netflix

First it was music streaming. Now, T-Mobile is giving away Netflix in its bid to lure away subscribers.

In a tweet on Wednesday, CEO John Legere said consumers who buy the new Samsung smartphones from the wireless network would get a year's subscription to the video-streaming service, courtesy of his company. T-Mobile subsequently promoted the offer with paid Twitter ads. More details on the offer will arrive later this week, a carrier spokesman said.

In June, the operator introduced Music Freedom, a promotional program that covered subscribers' data costs on a number of music streaming apps. With the Netflix deal, however, T-Mobile isn't covering the data bill for streaming; it's just paying the year's subscription fee. Video eats up far more mobile data than music streaming. T-Mobile may be unwilling to foot the data costs for Netflix viewing, but it, like the other carriers, certainly wants more subscribers binge watching over its pipes.

Last year, Verizon unfurled a similar Netflix offer for its FiOS internet customers.

Samsung, T-Mobile's partner with the new offer, has steadily leaned more on entertainment offerings in its device marketing, giving exclusive content to Galaxy owners through its own music and video streaming services. Samsung also recently cut a deal with Netflix to get its products into its original programming.

T-Mobile's Music Freedom fell under FCC scrutiny when the commission was drafting new net neutrality guidelines. Thus far, the program has remained safe and was deemed an example of "positive discrimination" -- subsidizing content for consumers, rather than slowing it or charging more. In its report setting out the broadband rules, released earlier this month, the regulator said it would examine the practice on a "case-by-case basis."

Mark Bergen covers mobile carriers, devices and advertising out of New York City. Earlier, he reported on technology and business from India for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and various publications.